RaceDepartment Editor-in-ChiefStaffPremium

The long awaiting livery update for F1 2017 is here, and Codemasters have bundled together plenty of extra content and features to boot....

Build update version 1.9 has been released to Steam for the latest Grand Prix game from Codemasters, updating F1 2017 with plenty of new features and fixes as well as the long awaiting livery update to this years field of Formula One cars.

Titled 'F1 2017 Sports Update', the new build is a very nice and well stocked improvement to what is seen by many as the finest Codemasters Formula One release since taking over the licence in time for the 2010 Formula One season.

Now to confuse things a little Codemasters have done something a bit different, and to be fair I've probably got this wrong, so no correction comments please! Build 1.8 will be released on console "very soon", whilst PC players will get build 1.9 imminently. The difference? PC will get all the goodies of 1.8 on PS4 and Xbox One, but with some additional eSport improvements as mentioned later in this article. Fear not console players, these improvements will also be deployed to your gaming platform of choice at a later date. With me so far? Good, because I'm a bit lost...

Ok so confusing release schedule aside, let us have a quick look at what the new 'Spectator Mode' features will add to the game...

Spectator Mode will bring a few new improvements seen below, with the intention of providing some more information to broadcasters running various leagues and live streams of the game.

gap to the race leader

gap to the car ahead or behind

positions lost or gained

fastest lap times

current tyre compound

in the pits

number of pit stops

According to Codemasters "As a spectator, you’ll be able to control what information is shown. You’ll also be able to see live timing for the car you’re spectating, fastest laps, as well as sector specific yellow flags. If you don’t want to see any of this information as a spectator, though, you will be able to disable (or enable!) as you please". All very nice to hear.

Build 1.9 Update Notes

New Features

New Spectator UI has been added to game.

LAN Mode has been added to PS4 and PC versions.

New Grid editor available in custom multiplayer modes.

Photo Mode is now available on PS4 & Xbox One.

Sports Update – Updated car and driver liveries.

Sports Update – Updated car performance levels.

Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue where continuing an online championship resulted in a crash.

Fixed an issue in multiplayer where blue flags were occurring at the start of a race once - OSQ had finished.

Fixed issue where players could be disqualified at the end of a race if they were disqualified during the formation lap.

Fixed an issue in Multiplayer where the player position panel was showing incorrect positions when the spectating qualifying sessions.

Fixed a multiplayer issue where players were starting a race in the wrong cars after OSQ if host migration had occurred.

Fixed an issue where using an instant replay in practice and qualifying could cause the tyre models on all cars to disappear.

Fixed an issue with a flickering skybox during dynamic weather events.

Fixed an issue with lod popping on drivers heads when looking backwards with the camera during a race.

I think another important thing in this update is for leagues mostly - "New Grid editor available in custom multiplayer modes." Basically, I think it will allow leagues to add some penalty grid places and such.

Am I right in hearing that we don't get our own three letter acronym on the sides of the cars that have that in real life?

Click to expand...

That'll be correct. It's impossible for the game to generate its own textures at the moment. It would probably also take a surprising amount of develop time to implement that into the game while keeping the race team licensing departments happy because they're going to want it done with their font and their colors in very specific ways. That's easy enough for an artist at Codemasters to do by hand and have it approved by the team, but a nightmare to automate.

Here's a picture of the updated skins that I came here to post. I was actually browsing racedepartment this morning looking for livery updates in the mods section.

Premium

There is a bug with McLaren whereby your team mate does not get engine upgrades. It is well documented and in the forums they said they were looking at it... But it's isn't in the patch notes... Is this fixed but not mentioned?

solve the problem of when you change the graphics settings during the race and the screen gets darker? and I heard that now they have removed the save lock in career mode for mods, that is, now to add paint mods that will continue to save

XBO: OctoberDusk06Premium

Too bad the didn't fix the brightly colored walls (at many tracks, maybe all) that destroy your car if you touch them at 3mph. They ruined my last two league races. Until that is fixed, this is not acceptable for big time league use. Or...must be tolerated and ameliorated.

Just a quick question...no way to have an improved replay system like AC? Do I Always have to finish or quit from a race to be able to see the Whole lenght of the replay instead of a bunch of seconds?? And I see so many very Amazing replay on the web, Am I the only who (no matter what resolution or graphic sets) get a stuttering replay with huge fps drops? It happends in cutscenes too...rock solid 4K 60 fps everywhere while racing but replay, cutscenes (career and grid line) drops to 25-30 without reason...such a pain in the neck for this great game!